IPEN is the International Physical Activity and the Environment Network. It was launched by Professor Jim Sallis (USA), Dr Ilse DeBourdeaudhuij (Belgium) and Professor Neville Owen (Australia) at the International Congress of Behavioral Medicine in Mainz Germany in August 2004.

The network aims to:

• increase communication and collaboration between researchers investigating environmental correlates of physical activity
• stimulate research in physical activity and the environment
• recommend common methods and measures
• support researchers through sharing of information, feedback, letters of support etc.
• bring together data from multiple countries for joint analyses
• aid in the publication of data through papers, special journal issues, symposia etc.

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Two new IPEN papers have been published!

Cerin, E., Conway, T.L., Cain, K.L., Kerr, J., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Owen, N., Reis, R.S., Sarmiento, O.L., Hinckson, E.A., Salvo, D., Christiansen, L.B., MacFarlane, D.J., Davey, R., Mitáš, J., Aguinaga-Ontoso, I. and Salli, J.F. (2013) BMC Public Health 2013, 13:309. Sharing good NEWS across the world: developing comparable scores across 12 countries for the neighborhood environment walkability scale (NEWS). Read Paper

Kerr, J., Sallis, J.F., Owen, N., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Cerin, E., Sugiyama, T., Reis, R., Sarmiento, O., Frömel, K., Mitáš, J., Troelsen, J., Christiansen, L.B., Macfarlane, D., Salvo, D., Schofield, G., Badland, H., Guillen-Grima, F., Aguinaga-Ontoso, I., Davey, R., Bauman, A., Saelens, B., Riddoch, C., Ainsworth, B., Pratt, M., Schmidt,T., Frank, L., Adams, M, Conway, T., Cain, K, Van Dyck, D. and Bracy, N. (2013) Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2013, 10, 581-601. Advancing Science and Policy Through a Coordinated
International Study of Physical Activity and Built Environments: IPEN Adult Methods.

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The Journal for Transport and Health has been launched, devoted to research on the many interactions between transport and public health. The journal aims to cover transport and health issues in all countries. Three particular aims of the journal are: to promote dialogue between the two research communities it serves, to improve the quality of data and the appropriate use of data; and to encourage transfer of research into practice.

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IPEN's first newsletter has been sent out to all IPEN members via email, and can be seen here. If you'd like to receive future newsletters, please join IPEN.

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The ISBNPA Post-Conference Satellite will be taking place in Cambridge on 26th-28th May 2013. The Satellite focuses on the integration of individual and environmental approaches to changing population-level physical activity behaviour.

25 of the original 50 places remain, so you may like to consider registering soon if you are interested in attending.

Topics covered will include the current state of evidence, how the environment affects responses to individual level interventions, case studies of combined approaches and methodological challenges. Speakers will include Susan Michie (University College London), Billie Giles-Corti (University of Melbourne), Susi Kriemler (University of Basel), Nanette Mutrie (University of Edinburgh), David Ogilvie (MRC Epidemiology Unit Cambridge) and Shannon Sahlqvist (Deakin University). See this flyer for more information.

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IPEN Adult and Adolescent groups met in Sydney, Australia in October, 2012.

IPEN Adult group	IPEN Adolescent group

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IPEN was represented at a meeting on Active Cities on 21 September, 2012.  Rodrigo Reis, from Curitiba, Brasil, presented on IPEN at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. The meeting was also sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization and the American College of Sports Medicine. The organizers specifically asked for a presentation on IPEN because they recognized the relevance of our research for development policies, which is part of the business of the World Bank.  We thank Rodrigo for representing IPEN in this important forum.

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The Built Environment Assessment Training (BEAT) Institute has launched a free online course to learn how to assess the built environment for physical activity.  Please see this flyer for more information. To register, visit this website and click on online training: www.med.upenn.edu/beat.

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The Lancet has launched a series on Physical Activity, including articles from IPEN members. More information and links to articles can be found here.

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Please send us details of relevant conferences.

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The annual meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) will be held May 22-25, 2013 in Ghent, Belgium. The deadline for symposia submissions is October 28, 2012, and the deadline for abstract submission is December 6, 2012. More information can be found here.

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The 3rd International Aconferance on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement (ICAMPAM) will be held June 17-19, 2013 in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. The conference themes are Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep Measurement. The abstract submission deadline is Feburary 13, 2013. More information can be found here.

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Active Healthy Kids Canada is bringing together leading researchers, practitioners and policy makers to address the growing childhood physical inactivity crisis at the first ever Global Summit on the Physical Activity of Children, The Power to Move Kids. This event will be held in Toronto on May 19-22, 2014 and is going to be the must-attend event of 2014 for those whose work touches physical activity for children. If your work touches child and youth physical activity, join the mailing list.

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Email: ipen@ucsd.edu
Tel: 1.619.260.5541
Fax: 1.619.260.1510